(a) Field of the Invention
The invention concerns the field of cosmetic product applicators, typically cosmetic products for eye make-up, such as for example mascaras.
(b) Description of Prior Art
A great number of mascara applicators are already known.
These applicators, which are intended to be used with a container defining a reservoir for the mascara, typically comprise:                a) a cap adapted to seal said container and to be used as prehension means for said applicator,        b) and axial rod,        c) and a brush,        said rod being unitary with said cap at one of its ends, and with said brush at its other end,        said brush comprising a metallic twist to which a plurality of bristles are fixed.        
With respect to said brush, a very large number of embodiments of brushes are already known.
Thus, the brushes described in the following French Patents are known: FR 2 505 633, FR 2 605 505, FR 2 607 372, FR 2 607 373, FR 2 627 068, FR 2 627 363, FR 2 637 471, FR 2 637 472, FR 2 650 162, FR 2 663 826, FR 2 668 905, FR 2 675 355, FR 2 685 859, FR 2 690 318, FR 2 701 198, FR 2 706 749, FR 2 715 038, FR 2 745 481, FR 2 748 913, FR 2 749 489, FR 2 749 490, FR 2 753 614, FR 2 755 593, FR 2 774 269, FR 2 796 531, FR2 796 532, FR2 800 586.
Also known are the brushes described in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,425, U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,179, U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,987, U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,198, U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,411, U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,700.
Also known are mascara applicators made of a molded member of plastic material, as described for example in the Patent FR 2 868 264 filed by the Applicant.
Also known are applicators comprising a stack of elements in the form of discs, as described for example in Japanese Utility Model No.: 55-172107, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,345,626 and 2002/0059942.
Even though the applicators formed with a molded member of plastic material constitute an advantageous alternative to the use of traditional brushes, they however raise many problems.
Indeed:                on the one hand, injection molding requires the very costly production of injection molds, which can only be justified if one is sure to be able to market large numbers of products,        on the other hand, the time required to launch such applicators is very long, taking into account particularly the delay required for producing molds.        
There is thus a need to be able to rapidly produce a wide variety of applicators, in particular in view of adapting them to the evolutions of cosmetic product formulations, as well as to the needs expressed by the users, without having to launch the production of costly molds, which are all the more difficult to amortize, that the production series are short and that the life span of the products is short.